


Way of the World

by hubdub15



Category: Midnight Poppy Land (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mob, Arranged Marriage, Dark Poppy, F/M, Forced Marriage, Implied/Referenced Sex, Poppy is in the mob
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:54:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23818783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hubdub15/pseuds/hubdub15
Summary: Poppylan Wilkes is the only child of the deceased mob boss, William Wilkes. To prevent further unnecessary bloodshed, her uncle arranges for her to marry the heir to the Balthuman Clan. She prepares to adapt to her new situation, but her future fiancé's bodyguard poses a problem: he can't stop reminding her of what she's giving up.
Relationships: Poppy/Tora
Comments: 57
Kudos: 126





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So the half-formed AU idea I had turned into a whole chapter. I'm still focusing more on FFY and my other one-shots, so this one might not be updated as frequently because I haven't flushed it out fully. 
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> Song inspiration for Poppy in this AU: "Queen of Disaster" by Lana del Ray and "Bad Decisions" by Ariana Grande

“Poppylan will retain her bodyguards.”

“Our men are quite capable, Frederick. She won’t need their services.”

“You mean you don’t want to have my men on your property.”

Poppy watched the negotiation between the two mob bosses through a veil of interest. Her uncle, Frederick Wilkes, sat at one end of the table, flanked by his sons, Sebastian and Augustus. On the other end, the infamous Vincent Balthuman, with two lieutenants whose names she had already forgotten sat at his right and left hand. They were so calculated about it. Marriage was supposed to be a happy occasion, not discussed over contracts like a business deal. She didn’t expect anything less though. The niece and adoptive daughter of the second-most powerful mob boss in the region, soon to be betrothed to the heir of the Balthuman clan to prevent further clan disputes. Love had nothing to do with it. Why, it was the thing of fairytales. 

She hadn’t even known about her own betrothal until the day before. She might not have known about it until they went to the Balthuman mansion if her cousin Augustus hadn’t let it slip over dinner. From there, it had gone downhill until Poppy had stormed out of the house and disappeared to Ares Street, specifically, the Balthuman territory of Ares Street. Her uncle’s men wouldn’t follow her there, and no one would recognize her. Uncle Frederick hadn’t allowed her to go out when she was in high school or college, and she barely attended any major clan gatherings. When she did, she went unnoticed. She preferred it that way. 

She supposed she should be thankful. If she hadn’t found out about the proposal which caused her to run to Ares Street, she never would have had the most perfect night of her life. 

Going to Club Miracle was a risk in and of itself. It was the center for the Balthuman clans activities and crawling with its members. If anyone recognized her, her life could be in danger. Lucky for her, the club was packed and it was easy to disappear in the crowd. She danced and swayed to the music, losing herself in the beat while she forgot all her problems. Forgot the engagement, her future as a mob wife, locked up to only produce an heir. At least for the next few days, she could pretend her life was normal, or as normal as it could be when she was niece of a mob boss. Just as she was about to leave, she saw _him_. 

His eyes pierced hers from across the room, two golden braziers burning into her. When he raised one dark eyebrow, her stomach flopped over itself and the air around her suddenly became exponentially hotter. She had never felt this kind of immediate attraction to someone. Not even to Julri, and they had dated for almost three years before she found him cheating on her with a waitress from her uncle’s bar. A blush burned Poppy’s cheeks at this stranger’s gaze. Normally, she would have turned and run away. She wilted under people’s attention, and she hated being in the spotlight. 

She knew it was reckless, but her anger at her sudden arranged marriage and how nonchalantly her uncle had dismissed her concerns emboldened her. With a raised finger, she beckoned the stranger to come join her as she continued dancing. She felt his large hands on her hips a few moments later. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him closer so he was flush against her back before she began moving to the music again, guiding him.It was her life, damn it, she was going to live it like she wanted. 

The next morning had shattered the illusion created by her amazing night. Poppy had wanted to stay at his apartment the next morning until he woke up, to thank him, if that was even something people did after having sex so many times they lost count, after a semi-public romp outside the club. She had never had a one-night stand before, but she if she had to guess, she would bet their night had been one for the record books. As she laid there studying him, her phone had buzzed incessantly on the floor until she finally looked at it, though she already knew who it was. Her uncle, threatening to burn Ares Street to the ground if she wasn’t back at his house in an hour. After grabbing her close, she placed a quick kiss to her mystery man’s forehead in the early morning darkness before putting him behind her.

Plenty of people in their world had affairs. She knew her Uncle Frederick wasn’t faithful to his wife, and there were rumors abound concerning Vincent Balthuman’s string of mistresses. But that just wasn’t Poppy. As soon as she was engaged, that would be it. She would be tethered for life, and she would never see the mystery club man again. She would have to settle for her betrothed. 

Poppy looked across the table and studied her would-be fiancé. She vaguely remembered seeing Quincey in high school, although he had been a senior when she was a freshman. White-blond hair, green eyes, and the same muscular build as his father, though she knew he wouldn’t be able to do anything half as dangerous as the clan leader. There was a reason people called him princess behind his back. She could do worse. She could have been married off to one of those awful Saturo boys. 

She looked over after the silence dragged on for a little too long and saw Vincent Balthuman’s eyes narrow, but instead of fighting her uncle further, he nodded. “If you insist, she may retain her bodyguards until she and Quincey are married. After, she will be a Balthuman and will not require the protection of your clan.”

Frederick nodded in agreement and sat back in his chair with his arms crossed. “Will we discuss the territory agreements tonight?”

Balthuman dismissed him with a wave of his hand. “That can be settled at another time. Let’s eat and we can discuss the minutiae after.”

“I assume it will be to both our benefits.”

“And the children’s, of course.” Vincent smiled at Poppy, but she didn’t feel comforted. She gave him a rehearsed smile back, good enough that no one would notice it was fake. 

“Are we waiting on someone else?” Poppy’s aunt finally spoke up to Poppy’s right. Poppy had to squint just to look her way from the way the copious amount of jewelry she was wearing reflected in the light. 

“Yes, he should be here any minute, our—

The doors to the dining room swung open noisily, interrupting Mrs. Balthuman mid-sentence while their final dinner dinner guest entered. 

“Sorry I’m late, shit got messy.”

Poppy’s face paled as she took in their final dinner guest. Long black hair, tall, muscular, with broad shoulders that she had just had her legs over less than twenty-four hours before. If she had any doubts that she knew the man standing by Mr. Balthuman, the same golden eyes that called to her from across the club were now studying her with a mischievous glint.

“Good, you’re finally here.” Balthuman stood and clapped her mystery man on the shoulder. "Everyone, allow me to introduce my ward and apprentice, Tora Noyouko.”

_Fuck me._

* * *

Tora took a deep breath outside the Balthuman mansion, steeling himself for a shit-filled night. He was late. He had hoped he could slip in unnoticed, but this negotiation with Frederick Wilkes was all Boss Balthuman had talked about for the past week. He knew Balthuman wasn’t going to let this one slide. There would be repercussions. 

“You’re late, big bro.” 

He looked over and saw the front door was open and one of the guards, Izo, was now interrupting his solitude. He wanted a few more minutes before being dragged inside. It looked like that wasn’t going to happen. 

“Fuck off.” Tora tossed his cigarette butt on the steps of the mansion before entering. “I was dealing with something.”

Izo had to jog to keep up with Tora as they walked through the mansion toward the dining room. “The Wilkes are already here, and Big Boss Balthuman has started negotiations. He kept asking where you were.”

“Well I’m sure he’ll be very forgiving, considering I was on his fucking goose chase.” Tora rolled his eyes. “Why the fuck should I care about being there? I’m not marrying her.”

Tora had sat in on the early negotiations between Balthuman and Frederick Wilkes, the leader of the Wilkes clan ever since his brother William was killed. Clan tensions were rising, and if the two clan leaders didn’t come to some sort of agreement soon, every cop in Narin City would be on their tails. No amount of power or influence would be able to stop it. 

From what Tora had seen of Frederick, he was a righteous dick who deserved a bullet in the head, one that Tora could gladly deliver. He wouldn’t compromise for anything Balthuman offered him, and Balthuman wasn’t receptive to Frederick was offering in exchange. 

“I have a daughter.”

Tora saw Balthuman’s eyes narrow at Frederick’s words. “What of her?”

“Well, she’s really my brother’s daughter. I took her in when he died.” Frederick sat back in his chair with a dismissive wave. “Last I remembered, you have a son.”

“If you think I’d be willing to merge our clans,” Balthuman chuckled, “you’re just as much of an imbecile as I thought.”

“I’m not proposing we merge clans.” Frederick frowned. “I’m offering her to you for your son, as a peace offering. Our families will be joined by marriage, and when they have children, by blood. Any children they have will be our mutual interest. That alone is enough to ensure peace between us.”

_He’s offering her up like a cow at market_. Tora’s quickly glanced to Balthuman to find he was actually mulling it over. His thoughts went to Quincey. He had sworn himself to be a perpetual bachelor. He’d never be interested in marriage, especially with a Wilkes girl. They were the clan’s biggest rivals. But if Boss Balthuman ordered it, there was no way the princess would be able to get out of it. 

“I want to inspect the girl before I agree to a betrothal. Come to dinner Friday night.”

Now here he was, spending his Friday night at a fucking auction when he could be doing something better with his time. He wanted to go back to Miracle again. Maybe _she_ would be there again…

“I doubt Big Boss is going to let you stop being Quincey’s bodyguard any time soon. Whoever this chick is, you’ll be spending plenty of time with her too.” Izo interrupted Tora’s thoughts. He leaned in and reached a hand up to touch Tora’s neck, but it was immediately smacked away and he was pushed back before his hand even came close to touching skin.

“The fuck are you doing?” Tora growled. He should break that fucker’s hand for even thinking about touching him. 

“Sorry, big bro, it’s just…are those _hickeys_?” 

Tora rolled his eyes and continued walking to the dining room. “Mind your own fucking business, Izo.” He absentmindedly touched the bruises on his neck once he was around a corner and sure no one could see him. Maybe he should have worn something with a higher collar. Balthuman would definitely ask about it. He was always discouraging of Tora ever dating, or even showing interest in anyone. That would detract from his jobs and his undivided loyalty to the clan. Even without Balthuman’s influence, he didn’t have any desire to find someone, including one-night stands. He didn’t need the drama. Anyone attached to him would instantly become a target. No one deserved that. 

Going to the club last night was a one-off. He needed to blow off some steam. If that meant going and watching people make fools of themselves on the dance floor while he took shots at the bar, then that’s what he was going to do. That plan was trashed as soon as he got to the bar. He didn’t know how many times he could say ‘no’ before all these women got the hint. He debated going out there just to escape for a bit, even though he hated dancing. 

Tora looked towards the center of the club at the writhing bodies and met a set of honey-brown eyes set into the body of a vixen. His throat went dry as they continued staring at each other. He was a mobster for fuck’s sake. He should just go over there and say something to her. Before he could make his move, she raised one hand and bent her finger towards her in a ‘come hither’ motion, beckoning him like a siren call. He forgot about his two left feet as soon as her soft body pressed against his. Just an hour later, he had her pressed against the wall of the club’s dark alley with her panting in his ear. 

He had fucked her six ways to Sunday when they got back to his apartment after their quickie outside the club until the box on condoms he kept in his night stand was empty. When he woke up after passing out seconds after their final round, the bed next to him was empty too, her sweet scent lingering on the sheets the only evidence she had ever been there. 

When he did have one-night stands, he always made the girls leave right after. He didn’t like to share his bed and wasn’t going to give them the wrong idea. But he wanted her to stay and see her in the morning light. The club had been dark and she insisted on keeping the lights off in his apartment. Even through the darkness, he could tell she was fucking gorgeous, but he couldn’t get a proper look at her. He’d seen the dark ink of a tattoo on her ribcage, the only surefire way to identify her later, but he didn’t get to look at that either. 

He got the idea that she wasn’t the type to do one-night stands from the way she’d blushed when he whispered in her ear if she wanted to go back to his apartment, but she kissed him with such skill he’d been shocked. She was mystery he wanted to uncover, but she had disappeared before he got the chance. 

Tora made it to the double doors of the dining room and stopped just short to take another deep breath. He needed to calm down or else he’d go in there with a hard-on. That would be a great way to make an impression on the Wilkes family. He wondered just how bad Quincey’s mousy fiancée would blush. 

Pushing the doors open, he strode into the room wearing a carefully crafted mask of indifference. “Sorry I’m late, shit got messy.” Tora called out to the small group gathered. He noticed the look Balthuman gave him at his late entrance, but he couldn’t give less of a fuck. Boss wanted him here, and here he was. It didn’t mean he had to behave exactly like was expected. He was halfway up shit’s creek for being late anyway. Stopping next to Balthuman’s seat, he shoved his hands in his pockets and surveyed their guests. Wilkes and his sons, Dumb and Dumber, sat at the opposite end of the table, and the older woman next to them had to be Wilkes’s wife. Tora recognized her from clan gatherings. She had a penchant for drinking too much then being sent home for making a fool of herself. 

His eyes finally stopped on the young woman sitting next to Mrs. Wilkes. He could feel himself smiling inadvertently as her honey-brown eyes met his. Even though she was covered up from neck to knee, he could recognize those curves anywhere. He’d worshipped them enough last night to identify her from touch alone. Shock, then mortification crossed her face as the realization of who he was dawned on her. 

“Good, you’re finally here.” The bottom of the chair scraped on the floor as Balthuman stood. Tora kept from flinching as he hit him on the shoulder. He barely even registered the slight sting of pain as his hand made contact. All he could focus on was the woman in front of him and how her eyes widened further while Balthuman continued. “Everyone, allow me to introduce my ward and apprentice, Tora Noyouko.”

This was going to be fun.

* * *

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Until next time~


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to Annie J (ann_jay009) for beta-reading this chapter! You're a gem 🧡
> 
> I made some mood boards to help with my writing process in planning this AU, and I thought I'd share them with you. They're at the end of this chapter! I still have a few more I'll share eventually, but I'm waiting for those characters to appear in the story.

_This is the best fucking dinner I’ve ever been to._

Tora watched the young woman across the table from him as her blush grew deeper and deeper the longer he stared at her. She refused to look up when he sat across from her, in his usual spot next to Quincey. His friend and charge looked completely disinterested in the whole situation, barely speaking unless asked a direct question, even when the conversation went to his favorite topic: himself. _Princess must be pouting because he has to marry this girl_. 

The girl, Poppylan Wilkes, was completely different from the woman he met at Miracle. She didn’t raise her voice, only spoke when spoken to and wouldn’t meet anyone’s eyes for more than a few seconds. She had matched him move for move the night before, surprising him with just how far she was willing to go. During the few hours they had been together, he would have guessed she was just as bold in her day-to-day life. Instead, only the shell of that woman sat in front of him, pointedly ignoring him.

He couldn’t believe he didn’t recognize her last night. He had heard people talk about the daughter of the Wilkes clan, or the ‘Little Lioness’, as some called her. He should have recognized the eyes that had bewitched him last night. They were the same shade as the eyes glaring at Boss Balthuman from the other end of the table.. Wilkes genes were strong. If he hadn’t known better and someone had told him Augustus and Sebastian were her brothers, not her cousins, he would have believed them. He wanted to blame the darkness of the club, or perhaps his desire to get off with the first girl who showed interest, but he would be lying. It was just her. 

The daughter of the man who was the reason his father was dead. 

Tora’s hand clenched tighter around his silverware. If he had known before, would he still have slept with her? He wanted to tell himself he wouldn’t, but even now, he was still drawn to the woman sitting across from him. It wasn’t her fault his father was dead, she hadn’t pulled the trigger. She must have been only eight when he died. Did she even know what happened?

What she did or didn’t know, or what lingering attraction he had for her didn’t matter now. She was going to be engaged to Quincey. She was off-limits. At least publicly. 

“I had assumed your daughter would be here tonight.” Tora unclenched his fists and looked to Frederick with a frown. Now he was bitching that Vivienne wasn’t here? He was lucky she wasn’t. Quincey and Tora might be able to keep their mouths shut, but she certainly wouldn’t. 

“Yes, we apologize for her absence. She sends her regards.” Tora covered his hand with his mouth to mask his scoff as a cough. He was sure Vivienne didn’t even know about the dinner, or its true purpose. If she had, she would have come home yesterday to talk her father out of this crazy plan. She was the only one who could. She didn’t fear her father like everyone else and would speak her mind if she wanted. Balthuman let her get away with murder. 

“I heard she received her masters from Narin University recently.” Mrs. Wilkes spoke up. 

“She did, with honors. Now that she has her MBA, she’ll be ready to take over the charity organization.” Vincent turned his attention to Poppy. “Your uncle mentioned you attended Narin University as well.”

“Yes, sir.” Poppy nodded. “I graduated with a degree in creative writing.”

“I’m surprised you were able to find a job in that field. It’s so saturated.” Vincent took a sip of scotch. “Not that you’ll need it, if everything goes well. It would be unbecoming for a woman of your standing to have a job.”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell her. Maybe now that someone else is saying it, she’ll finally listen.” Frederick chuckled. 

Tora heard the faint click of Poppy’s teeth as she clenched her jaw shut. Her face was still a perfect mask of pleasant indifference, but he saw a rage burning in her eyes. Either she knew better than to speak out against Vincent Balthuman or she had heard this topic so many times, it was a battle she didn’t bother fighting anymore. 

“Poppy has a job working at a publishing house in Narin City. They’re small, but they’ve already made a name for themselves in their business.” Tora watched as Augustus stared down Vincent Balthuman. _Either he doesn’t give a fuck, or he has a death wish._ “She’s worked hard to get them to where they are today.”

Augustus let out a small yelp, jumping in his seat in pain. He glared across the table at his older brother, who was giving him a meaningful stare. Maybe the Wilkes heir wasn’t as much of an idiot as his father was. 

Vincent stared at Augustus for a few moments before looking back to Poppy, who had been watching the exchange between her cousins worriedly and the ever-growing anger on her uncle’s face. “I did not mean to imply you are not a hard worker, Poppylan. I’m sure you are, if you’re anything like your father.”

“Thank you, Mr. Balthuman.” Poppy murmured. “I appreciate you saying that.”

“I know it’s much too late for this, Poppylan, but I’m sorry about your father’s demise. He was a good man.” His eyes went across the table to look at Frederick. “An honorable man as well. Although we were rivals, I admired him. It’s rare to find someone with so much personal integrity in our line of business nowadays.” 

Frederick’s gaze didn’t waver as he looked back at Vincent for a moment “I suppose as rare as loyal lieutenants.” His eyes shifted to Tora and he smirked. 

Tora felt Martin’s hand on his shoulder as he began to rise from his chair, pushing him back into it. 

“Control yourself.” Martin hissed. “This deal can’t fall through.”

“You’re going to let him lie like that?”

“For now.” He responded. “So shut the fuck up.”

As Frederick opened his mouth to shoot out another retort, Vincent stood, silencing everyone at the table. “I believe it’s time we went to discuss the details of this arrangement.” He then looked at Quincey, who was still looking anywhere but at Poppy. “Perhaps you could show Poppylan the gardens while we discuss business.”

“That’s a wonderful idea. Gwendolyn, let’s go to the sitting room while the children are in the garden. I look forward to discussing the ceremony with you.” Larissa smiled. 

Tora didn’t pay attention to Quincey’s response. Instead, he watched as Mrs. Wilkes rested her hand on Poppy’s shoulder, her manicured nails digging into Poppy’s sweater and leaned down to whisper in her ear. Poppy squirmed slightly when Mrs. Wilkes gripped tighter, but Poppy’s movements only made her hold on tighter. He saw Poppy take a deep breath when her aunt finally released her and walked away, following Larissa and the rest of the men. Tora, Quincey, and Poppy were left alone in the dining room, excluding the bodyguard that was now standing behind Poppy. Her fingers brushed over the spot where her aunt’s nails had been. A flash of sadness passing across her eyes. As quickly as it had appeared, it was gone, now replaced with curiosity as Quincey finally looked at Poppy for the first time the entire night. 

“Come on. We just have to go outside for a few minutes to get them off our backs.” He stood from the table and waited for Poppy and Tora to both stand before walking out of the dining room and down the long hallway toward the gardens. 

“So what do you think about all of this?” Quincey was the first to break the silence. 

Poppy shrugged. “I don’t really care. I’ve always known I would have an arranged marriage.” 

“Well, I didn’t.” Quincey frowned.

“You really can’t be that stupid.” Poppy scoffed. 

Quincey stopped so suddenly Tora almost ran into his back. “Excuse me?”

“You’re the son of Vincent Balthuman, do you really think you would be allowed to marry a civilian?” They turned to face each other, and Poppy raised an eyebrow at him. “If it weren’t me, it would probably be Reina Mori or that Saturo girl who’s still in high school. I heard her dad is trying to marry her off. And if your potential bride wasn’t from those two families, I’m sure Laurent Rees will end up having a daughter soon.”

“You assume a lot.” Quincey frowned. Tora wondered if he should get between the two of them. Poppy was shooting daggers at Quincey, and he looked ready to wrap his hands around her slender throat and squeeze at any moment. But despite his shortcomings, Quincey wasn’t that stupid. Poppy must have known there would be consequences simply from laying hands on the Balthuman clan’s heir, not to mention her future fiancé. Bile rose in his mouth at the thought. 

“I don’t assume anything, it’s the truth. If you don’t think the same, then you’re living a fantasy.” Poppy told him. “I’m sure your father was already planning who you were going to marry before you were even born.”

“If he was, he certainly didn’t have a Wilkes girl in mind.” 

Poppy bristled at Quincey’s words. Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides, as if she were trying to control herself. Did she have a temper problem? How many faces could this woman wear? At the club, she had been a delicious mystery. In the dining room, a timid, well-behaved doll. Now, she looked the part of the Lioness people spoke of from the shadows. When he took a step towards the two of them, he felt a strong hand grip his shoulder. He turned his head and saw Poppy’s bodyguard glaring at him. He shook his head slowly. Poppy seemed to notice their exchange from the corner of her eye and waved her bodyguard off with a flick of her wrist. The man stepped back but still stayed close enough so he would be able to intercept Tora should he move towards his charge. 

“I want to make one thing clear.” Quincey held up a finger to keep her from speaking. Tora watched as Poppy’s eyes narrowed at Quincey’s proximity when he stepped closer to her, and he went on guard. Just because Quincey was a princess who didn’t know how to fight didn’t mean this pint-sized heiress didn’t know how to hit. “Until we’re officially engaged, we are not exclusive.”

Poppy stayed silent for a few moments before she cocked her head to the side. “You mean see other people?”

“Exactly.” Quincey frowned. “I’m not giving up my social life until this deal is finalized.”

Tora thought she must have gone deaf or was having a small stroke, she was standing so still. She finally broke out into a large grin. “Perfect!”

Quincey took a step back, confused. That obviously wasn’t the answer he was expecting. “What do you mean, ‘perfect’?”

“It means I don’t have to hide the fact I’m going out tonight and might meet someone.” Tora’s eyes widened as Poppy reached down and pulled the sweater she was wearing over her head, revealing a skin-tight black leather crop top which showed off more of her chest than her uncle would have been comfortable with. His eyes traveled down to her ribcage, where the Wilkes crest was etched in dark ink. How the _fuck_ did he not notice that?

She turned towards her bodyguard and tossed the sweater to him. “I’m taking your car. Tell my uncle I went back to my apartment early to work on a project. You’ll need a ride back to the manor.”

“Yes, Miss Poppy.” He nodded and reached into his pocket to hand her the keys. When she had them in her grasp, she turned back to Quincey and grinned. 

“See you later, _Quinceton_ .” Poppy turned on her heel and sashayed down the hallway towards the exit. It took all of Tora’s self-control not to focus on the movement of her hips or how he wanted to rip that crop top off her with his teeth. _Fuck, I have to get a hold of myself. She’s a Wilkes_. 

He was broken from his thoughts as Quincey let out something between a yell and a growl. Looking over at his friend, he saw that Quincey had a look on his face that could only be described as rage. What was he so upset about? Everything the girl said has been true, even if he didn’t want to admit it. Quincey had always lived in a fantasy world, distancing himself from clan activities whenever possible, but he had obligations as the son of Vincent Balthuman. He couldn’t get mad at her for speaking the truth. He needed to hear it from someone. 

“Where the fuck does she think she’s going?” Quincey growled. “She can’t leave like that.”

“I think she just did, Quince.” Tora extracted a cigarette and lit up. “Sucks for you. Looks like you’re not getting a nice little housewife.”

“Fuck that. I want to know where she’s going. Where is she going?” Quincey demanded of her bodyguard, who shrugged and walked off. “Useless.”

“Wow, the Wilkes bodyguard didn’t want to tell you where the Wilkes girl was going. Shocking.”

Quincey rolled his eyes and looked back down the hallway where Poppy disappeared. 

“ _Follow her_.”

* * *

_**The Balthuman Clan** _

_ **The Wilkes Clan** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Why does Poppy not have a mood board?" 
> 
> She does! I just can't release it yet publicly because it contains a FP image. If you would like to view it, I posted all the mood boards I have made so far to the Midnight Poppy Land Fast Passers Facebook group. If you're already a member, great! Just copy and paste the link below. If not, and you DO fastpass, answer the group questions and join us! It's a fun group and we'd love to have you. 
> 
> If you don't fast pass, I will post Poppy's mood board when Ch. 31 is released for free. Thank you for understanding. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Until next time~


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're going back in time with this chapter! This flashback was originally just supposed to be a quick blurb at the beginning of chapter 3, but because I have no self-control, it became its own chapter. I hope you all like it!
> 
> This gives more insight into Poppy's background, by way of her parents. If you have questions, feel free to comment and I'll answer if they're not spoiler-y. 
> 
> A big thank you to Emily B. for beta-reading this chapter! I'm sorry I ripped your heart out again.

If there was one thing William Wilkes hated, it was phone conversations with his brother. 

What should have been quick conversations relaying information about business usually devolved into the upstart little shit questioning his every move. If he wasn’t blood, William probably would have killed him by now. That, and his mother would probably kill him for killing his brother. Not that she would really care. William had always been the favorite. The calls also came at the most inconvenient times. While Frederick couldn’t stop talking, William was trying to finish making dinner and keep an eye on his infant daughter, Poppy. 

He glanced over and saw she was still snoozing in the bouncer he had placed far enough away on the kitchen counter where she wouldn’t be in danger of being hit by any oil.  _ God, get home soon, Marianne _ . His wife had been working late nights the entire week, leaving William alone with Poppy. Not that he minded. At just a few months old, she still slept most of the time. He was content just watching her. He still wished Marianne was home, though. Compared to living in the manor where you could turn a corner and find someone to talk to, this small house removed from the clan was almost like solitary confinement. He gave up a lot of his lifestyle when they got married. But if it made Marianne happy, he would do it a hundred-fold. 

“ _ Balthuman underlings were found on our territory in Ares Street again. Alistair thinks Vincent is trying to test our defenses and response times again. _ ” Frederick’s voice brought William’s voice back to reality. 

“What did he recommend?” He asked, not that he really cared what Alistair thought. Although he respected all of his lieutenants, he knew almost all of them were out for blood. Specifically, for Balthuman blood. He wouldn’t allow another clan war to occur simply because they were restless.

“ _ Kill all but one, send him back to relay the message. _ ”

“I don’t want to ignite another clan war over a dingy warehouse. If they try again, capture them. I’ll set a meeting with Vincent to get to the bottom of this. If he doesn’t agree, then we kill them.” 

“ _ Why not just save a step and kill them while we have them _ ?”

“Did you not just hear me say this could cause a clan war? We can’t afford to lose any men over something as trivial as this.” William frowned. Not paying attention, his hand accidentally connected with the hot pot of rice still simmering on the store, and he let out a string of expletives before he could stop himself. His eyes immediately went to Poppy, but she hadn’t even stirred after his tirade.

“ _ What the hell are you doing over there _ ?” Frederick demanded. “ _ Did I just hear a stove _ ?”

“I’m trying to finish dinner before Marianne gets home. Work has been rough for her this week, I wanted to surprise her. I’m making those rice balls she likes.”

“ _ Such a good little house husband _ .” Frederick crooned with false sincerity. “ _ I can’t believe you allow her to work. It’s a bad look. People think you can’t provide for her _ .”

“I want her to be happy. If that means working, then that’s fine with me.”

“ _ And now you’re stuck at home with the baby _ .” 

“Rick?”

“ _ Hm? _ ”

“Eat shit and die.”

Frederick let out a low whistle on the other end of the phone. “ _ Language. You kiss your daughter with that mouth _ ?”

“Did you call me for a reason, or just to comment on my life choices like usual?” William asked. “I don’t know where the fuck you get off, you little shit. You’re five years younger than I am.”

“ _ It’s not fun for me unless I at least get a few jabs in _ .” He laughed.

“Are you coming over tomorrow morning to review the new shipments?” William was ready to get off the phone. 

“ _ I’ll be there. _ ”

“You better.” William hung up suddenly and tossed the phone on the kitchen table behind him. After turning everything off on the stove, he turned to look at Poppy, who was now watching him with her wide brown eyes. 

“I’m sorry, baby girl. Did Daddy wake you up?” William walked over to Poppy and grinned when she gave him a gummy smile. “Your Uncle Rick is an asshole.”

Poppy cooed in what William took as agreement while he lifted her from the bouncer and propped her on his shoulder. “Come on, we need to wait for the rice to cool down. Let’s watch that entirely boring kids show Mommy says you like even though you’re only three months old and don’t even know what a TV is yet.”

While William was settling Poppy in the living room, he heard a loud crash come from the bedroom down the hall. His mind immediately went to an intruder, but that would be impossible. Even though they lived away from the center of clan activity didn’t mean his men weren’t in the area. There were at least four of them posted on the house at all times, double if Marianne was home alone. It was impossible that someone would be able to break in. Marianne must have come home without Will noticing. 

Walking into the bedroom, he saw his wife standing at their small closet, reaching up to try and grab a carry-on suitcase from the top shelf. There were several boxes surrounding her, their contents spilled onto the floor. She must have knocked them over trying to get the suitcase and caused the noise. While he usually would have taken the opportunity to sneak up on her and wrap his arms around her waist to hold her close, he stopped himself when he saw piles of her clothes thrown around the room, with two passports laying discreetly beneath a sweater on the corner of the bed.

“What are you doing?”

Marianne spun around to face him with a small gasp. The small suitcase slipped from her fingers and fell with a dull thud at her feet, but it went unnoticed as the couple continued to stare at each other. William watched her while her gaze darted around the room, taking in her mess and what it could look like to an observer. Or what it must look like to her husband. 

“Are you going somewhere?” William pressed, stepping further into the room. Marianne retreated quickly until her back hit the dresser behind her. Her hands flew up to steady herself as they gripped into the wood like it was a life preserver in the middle of the ocean. Her chest heaved with her breath while she continued staring at him with wide eyes. His gaze went to the travel bag already on the bed, filled with clothes and other essentials with no rhyme or reason. Exactly how it might be if someone were trying to make a quick getaway. Whatever she had been doing, she didn’t want to be caught. 

“You said you were going out with your brother tonight.” Her voice shook when she finally spoke. “I thought your mother was supposed to be here with Poppy.” 

“I told him I couldn’t. I wanted to make you dinner and surprise you when you got home, since you seemed to be stressed this entire week.” He moved further into the room, stopping just beside her half-packed bag. “Now I’m thinking your stress had nothing to do with work.”

“William—

“I’m not going to ask you again.” He tilted his chin down and lowered his voice. “Where are you going?”

She looked down at her hands, beginning to fidget with her fingers. “I’m leaving.”

“I gathered that. Where?”

“I don’t know.”

“You  _ don’t know _ ?” William frowned. “I see a passport, Marianne, you have to know where you’re going.”

“I don’t know, they didn’t tell me.” 

“Who didn’t tell you?”

“I don’t want to do this anymore, Will.” Marianne whispered, avoiding his question. “This lifestyle, the clan…I can’t do this anymore.”

William felt his heart drop further with every word she spoke. He couldn’t believe what she was saying, or didn’t want to. She wanted to leave. They had been together for years, had built this life together, had a child together. And without warning, she was telling him she didn’t want any of it anymore. Had he missed something? 

“Come with me.”

Her voice brought him back from his spiral, along with the gentle touch of her hands on his. “What?”

“You, me, and Poppy. We can go someplace they can never find us. We can start a new life.” Marianne was now in front of him as she gripped his hands and pulled him so they were standing almost chest to chest.

William searched Marianne’s face. He hoped she would break into a smile and tell him she was joking, that it was some elaborate prank like the ones she loved to pull with him just to get him to loosen up, like the one that first brought them together in college. But the longer he stared at her, the more her desperation grew in her eyes as she pleaded with him silently to agree to her plan. He wasn’t dreaming, and this wasn’t a farce. This was real. 

He pulled his hands from her grasp and took a step back, squaring his shoulders while he stared down at her. “That’s treason.”

“Don’t you want something more for Poppy than being a mob boss’s daughter? A better life?” Marianne pleaded. Her hands tried to reach back to touch him again, but he stepped back to prevent them from making contact. “A normal life?”

“This is her better life!” William shouted. “She was born the heir to the Wilkes clan. Before she even took her first breath, a thousand men would have died to protect her. She’ll have the entire country of Narin at her feet. She’ll want for nothing.”

“Living a life of crime? Constantly worrying if she’ll be caught and sent to jail?  _ That’s  _ her better life?”

William let out a humorless chuckle. “If I didn’t know better, Marianne, I’d say you’re projecting.”

“I can’t take another night of wondering if you’ll make it home alive.” 

“You knew exactly what you were getting into when you married me. Now you want out? Has the thrill finally worn off?”

“Well I’m sorry I’m not your perfect little mob wife. Maybe you should have chosen Gwendolyn.”

“I chose  _ YOU _ !” William roared. “I told my father to fuck himself and risked my place as heir to marry you because I loved you. I bought this fucking house because you didn’t want to be in the center of clan activity. I stepped back from my duties because you wanted me home more. I gave up parts of myself to make you happy, and this is how you reciprocate my dedication to you? My love?” His voice cracked on the last word betraying his true emotions. He wanted to be furious with her. Of course he was angry, but he couldn’t help but feel betrayed. She had fooled him all this time. The woman he loved didn’t love him in return. 

Her eyes shone with tears, but William felt nothing. He turned his back to her and took several shaking breaths to calm the emotions building up inside him. He would not lash out at her. No matter how upset he might be, she was still his wife, the mother of his child. She deserved at least some respect for that alone, although it was the only respect he had for her that remained.

“Leave, if that’s what you want.” He walked out of the room and back into the living room. He sat on the couch and watched Poppy as she attempted to roll over in her playpen, squawking in frustration when she couldn’t. He ignored the sounds of Marianne continuing to pack in their bedroom until he finally heard her shoes on the hardwood coming toward him. He didn’t bother looking over at her as she stopped next to his place on the couch.

“I’ll come back—-

“No.” William interrupted, looking up to stare at the wall opposite him. “You’re going to leave Narin, and never come back.”

“What?”

“I don’t think I fucking stuttered.” William turned to look at her with narrowed eyes. “I never want to see you again. If I hear of you returning, I won’t be as forgiving as I am now.”

Marianne opened her mouth to speak, but she quickly closed it and pressed her lips into a thin line. When she moved to Poppy’s playpen and started to reach inside, William stood and blocked her from grabbing his daughter. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” He growled. 

“I’m taking Poppy with me.” Marianne stared right back at him. “She’s my daughter, I won’t allow her to live like this.”

“As far as I care, Poppy doesn’t have a mother anymore.” William sneered. “If you try to take her out of this house, I won’t hesitate to give the order to have my men capture you, and I can assure you any place they take you won’t be half as nice as wherever you plan on running off to.”

He grabbed her wrist and pushed her away from the playpen. If she took Poppy, he would be completely alone. Their little family had been the one thing he cherished in this world, the one thing he would move mountains for. It was the one thing that kept him grounded and prevented his insanity. Marianne inspired him to try and be a better man, if he even could with his position. And Poppy, she was the only good thing he had ever brought into this world. If Marianne wanted to leave, he’d be damned if she took his last lifeline with her. 

“You wanted to leave, so leave.”

The sudden ringing of his cell phone broke the tension between the two. William looked down and saw it was one of his men stationed outside. “What?” He spat into it when he picked up. 

“ _ Sir, there’s a cab that just pulled in front of the house. Should we tell them to move along _ ?”

William looked to Marianne and shook his head. “No, it’s for Marianne. She’s leaving now. Come inside and have someone else escort her there.”

“ _ Yes, sir _ .” 

William hung up and smiled at his wife. “You really thought of everything, didn’t you?”

“William…”

“Go on. Your cab is waiting.” He sat back down on the couch with his head hung, arms on his knees. He couldn’t even look at her anymore. It hurt too much. 

The sound of the door opening, followed by light footsteps retreating and being replaced by heavy ones alerted him that she was finally gone, and his man had come inside as requested. 

“Is everything alright, sir?”

William ran a rough hand over his face and took a deep breath. “Just peachy.”

“Does Mrs. Wilkes need an escort to the airport?”

He looked over and his eyes caught the wedding picture sitting on the side table. He wanted nothing more than to throw it across the room through the front window. It had all been a fucking lie. Instead, he took another deep breath and stood. He smoothed his hair back from his face and looked to his underling. His personal feelings didn’t matter right now. He was William Wilkes, head of one of the most powerful criminal syndicates in Narin. He needed to put this behind him.

“Follow her and make sure she gets on a plane. I never want to see her in this country again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't make mood boards for William or Marianne because they're not a huge part of present-day storyline. If you want to see them, I can definitely make them!
> 
> Thank you for reading! Next chapter should be out in a few days. 
> 
> Until next time~


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A thousand thank-you's to Lindsay (Trychtopus), Emily B, and Anna S for beta reading this chapter for me. It takes a village to deal with my crazy. 
> 
> Erdene's mood board is at the end of the chapter! It's just something I threw together, it might change later. 
> 
> Enjoy!

There wasn't a reason for Poppy to go back to Club Miracle. She should have called Erdene and the rest of their friend group and asked to meet up at some other club, but they had already planned this morning to go and if Poppy changed her mind on such short notice, Erdene would be suspicious. She was already on Poppy’s case for wanting to go to Club Miracle in the first place, knowing there was some other reason than just having fun. There had been, but that was before Poppy found out the man she met at the club was her future fiancé’s bodyguard and therefore off-limits. The only reason now was to get as drunk as she could to forget that horrible dinner. 

After throwing several hundred dollars in bills at the floor manager to evict a bachelor party, Poppy and her group of friends were now safely ensconced in the VIP lounge on the second level overlooking the dance floor, with two bouncers standing outside the entrance to make sure no one bothered them. Half of the girls had gone to dance after doing a few rounds of shots, while the rest were playing some form of drinking game watching people dance below them. Poppy didn’t feel like joining either of them. She was already three kamikazes deep, and with each passing glass she realized the alcohol wasn’t helping her calm down. In fact, it was doing the opposite. She was itching for a fight. 

“Why are we here?” Erdene shouted over the music. “If you wanted to get shit-faced, we could have just gone to one of your uncle’s clubs.”

“If I’m supposed to be a Balthuman soon, might as well acquaint myself with their territory, right?” Poppy finished off her glass and motioned to one of the waitresses assigned to the lounge to bring her another. 

“So you’re going to go through with it?”

Poppy looked over at her friend and saw the concern etched plainly in her features, and her devil-may-care facade cracked slightly. Erdene had been her best friend since they were in diapers, their fathers knowing each other long before either of the girls had been born. Although Erdene’s father was never directly involved in the clan, he was always available to provide William with business advice. Being one of the most successful businessmen in Narin, he had cultivated a wide network of contacts, ones he was more than happy to provide to William for his less clandestine activities. 

Unlike most of the “friends” Poppy had gone to primary and secondary school with, girls selected for her companionship based on social standings and personal ties with the Wilkes clan, Erdene was the only one from her childhood she had chosen herself. The only friend she could really trust. After obtaining slightly more freedom once she went to college, she gained more friends, the girls with them tonight, and kicked the rest to the curb. She didn’t enjoy dealing with those sycophants and gladly told them as such when she was finally able to. It hadn’t gone over well with her uncle, but she didn’t care. She was an adult, she should at least be able to control who her friends were. 

“Do I have a choice?” Poppy turned away from Erdene and took the proffered martini from the waitress when she came back. “They’re already drafting contracts right now. I can’t exactly back out.”

“You could run away with a tall handsome stranger.”

“And never be allowed on my own again? No thank you. If I cooperate I’ll at least have some sort of independence after I get married.” Poppy rolled her eyes. 

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea, Pops. You barely know this Quincey guy. What if he’s a total creep?”

“I knew of him in high school. He’s a big baby. Nothing like his father, if the rumors are true.”

“Are you sure you’ll be safe there, though? The Balthumans and the Wilkes clans have been at each other’s necks for generations. How are they so sure this wedding will stop all that fighting?”

“There’s no choice, Erdene. It has to be.” Poppy sighed. “Can we stop talking about this? I’m getting a headache.”

“You don’t think it’s from the four martinis you’ve downed since we got here?” Erdene frowned. 

“Shh.” Poppy placed her hand over Erdene’s mouth. “Less talking, more drinking.”

“I’m going to have to hold your hair back tonight, aren’t I?”

“Poppy?”

All the girls in the lounge turned towards the entrance at the sound of a male voice daring to enter their space. Poppy looked over and saw Julri being blocked by the two bouncers, wringing his hands together while watching her expectantly. She had to be dreaming. In what universe could that dickhead have the balls to come find her after what he had done? Were the numerous texts telling him to never contact her again not enough? Did he need it beat into him? She suddenly remembered she didn’t have any men with her. If she wanted to teach him a lesson, she would have to do it herself. And she had just gotten a manicure for that fucking dinner. 

“Fuck me.” Poppy groaned, sliding down in her seat to stare at the lights above her. Maybe if she didn’t look at him and pretended he wasn’t there, he would go away. 

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Erdene stood and walked towards him, stopping a few feet away to cross her arms and stare him down. 

“I just want to talk to Poppy.” 

“Will that be before or after you’re finished stuffing your cock in that plastic bitch from the bar?” Erdene spat back.

“You told them?” Poppy looked over to see Julri frowning at her. She frowned and sat up, turning to face him. He wanted to talk with her? _Game on, Julri_. She had convinced herself that she would be able to have some form of a normal life being with him. She had suppressed so many parts of herself in order to please him but now, he was going to see just who she really was. 

“Oh, I didn’t realize I was supposed to keep the secret. Please forgive me.” Poppy cooed with fake tenderness. “I just figured once I found out, I was free to tell anyone why we broke up. After all, you were the selfish bastard that decided silicone tits and ass were better than what I could give you.”

He ignored her tirade and tried to step further into the lounge, but both bouncers prevented him. “Please, can’t we just go somewhere to talk? Let me explain myself.”

“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say, you dumb fuck. Get it through your thick skull, _we’re over_. Why would I even want to be with you anyway? You could never compare to me.” She crossed her arms and smiled inwardly when she saw him begin to squirm. She was getting to him. Perfect.

“You don’t mean that, Pops.”

“I don’t mince words, Julri. Unlike you, I actually have the guts to say what I mean.” Poppy rolled her eyes. “Why would the daughter of the Wilkes clan marry a nobody like you? You were a placeholder until my actual husband came along.

“You’re the second son of a bookie who accidentally fell in with some of the most powerful crime lords in Narin City. The only reason they keep him around is because he knows too much and it would be too much of a hassle to kill him and find someone else who understands the system. In my world, you’re no better than the shit I scrape off the bottom of my shoe at the end of the day. Remember that next time you think you were ever worthy of marrying someone like me.” Poppy picked up her drink and took a sip, watching him over the rim of her glass. “You were just a bit of fun.”

“Why are you saying this?” Julri demanded. “I know you don’t mean this. We were good together, Poppy.”

“You mean _I_ was good for _you_.” Poppy frowned. “Whatever we were together, it doesn’t matter now. I’m getting engaged in a few weeks.”

“What?” Julri was incredulous. “To whom?”

She saw it in his features and heard it in his voice. The underlying meaning to his words. _Who would want to marry you?_ She narrowed her eyes at him. Even if he ruined his chance of ever marrying her, that didn’t mean she couldn’t find someone else to marry. 

Squaring her shoulders, Poppy lifted her chin and stared him down. “ _Quincey Balthuman_.”

Julri’s eyes went wide with shock and he took a faltering step back. “You’re shitting me.”

“Why would I joke about something like that? It’s a great opportunity for both our clans. Too bad for you though, your family won’t have the same kind of protection you used to have when you were dating me.”

Poppy watched as Julri’s eyes widened as she walked towards him, staring down at him from the top step of the lounge. She enjoyed this view, looking down on him for once. She took another drink from her glass and smiled at him. 

“I wonder what my uncle would say if I told him why we actually broke up?” Poppy mused. “You know how he gets when someone disrespects the family. I’d hate to see anything bad happen to your parents. It’s not their fault their son is a piece of shit.” She traced the rim of her glass with her ring finger, smiling wider as his frown deepened. “You’re living with my permission now, Julri. Keep that in mind if you ever think about stirring the pot. Maybe I’ll just have to pay a visit to your little Mimi.”

“You’d never.” Julri hissed. 

Poppy whipped her hand out to grasp Julri by the front of his shirt, dragging him up so they were nose to nose. She felt him jump from the sudden movement and could practically smell his fear. “ _Try me_.”

She pushed him backwards, enjoying the sound of his ass hitting the floor and how he scrambled backwards on his hands. “Get the fuck out of my sight before I decide against showing you mercy.”

Erdene let out a low whistle as Julri ran away with tears in his eyes. “That was brutal.”

“Way to go, Poppy!” One of her friends called from her spot near the railing. 

“I wish you would have actually kicked his ass.” Erdene mumbled. 

Poppy walked back to the couches and sat down, watching as Julri ran away. It was better this way. He was always thick-headed, if he thought there was even a chance that they could get back together, he would keep pursuing her. That could put him in danger with her future in-laws. His family didn’t enjoy the same immunity with the Balthuman clan as they did with the Wilkes. She might have been a little too harsh, but it was necessary. Even though he had cheated, she still didn’t want to see him get hurt. She had loved him once. That wasn’t going to change overnight. 

“He needed to hear the truth.” Poppy murmured. 

“Everyone, stop what you’re doing, we just saw the hottest guy at the bar!” Phoebe crowed, returning from dancing with the rest of their friends. “Tall, dark, handsome, and built like a fucking tree. Come on, you have to see this.” 

“I’m not in the mood, Phoebe.” Poppy groaned as she tried to pull her towards the railing of the lounge. 

“The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else!” Phoebe sang gleefully, getting Erdene’s help in dragging Poppy to get a view of the dance floor and bar below. 

“You do realize I’m getting engaged in a few weeks, right?”

“I don’t see a ring on your finger, which means you’re still single, and can still get pummeled by a stranger.” Poppy was placed at the railing and Phoebe manipulated her head to look at the bar. “Look, that tall one with the long hair. Isn’t he gorgeous?”

Poppy’s stomach dropped when her eyes finally focused on the long-haired man in question standing at the bar. _Tora._

Instead of being alone, like he had been the night before when she first spotted him, a pink-haired woman was hanging onto him, her hands wrapped around the back of his neck and every inch of her body pressed against him. She knew it was irrational. She had no claim to him, she had known him for less than twenty-four hours. The only time they had shared alone, they were less focused on talking and more on exploring every inch of one another. She hadn’t even known his name until that god-awful dinner, when any chance she had of seeing him and possibly enjoying another night together had been shot two-fold—the first because she was supposed to be getting married, the second because he worked as a bodyguard for the man she was going to marry. It couldn’t get more cliched than that. 

Trying to tell herself it didn’t matter was useless. She was jealous. As the woman pressed her lips to Tora’s neck, she saw red. 

“Who the fuck is that bimbo?” Phoebe demanded. “I was going to save him for Poppy!”

“Wait! Where are you going?!” Erdene asked when Poppy turned to leave the lounge. 

“Just stay here.” Poppy walked down the stairs, keeping her eyes on Tora the entire time. When she was halfway across the dance floor, he finally looked at her. While his gaze emboldened her in a delicious way the previous night, now it was spurning her to draw blood. 

She held his focus until she finally stopped in front of the happy couple just as the pink smurf was finishing kissing over one of the marks Poppy had left on his neck the night before. 

“I bet your little side bitch can’t suck you off as good as I can.” She purred, her hand grazing over the front of Tora’s crotch. When Tora remained silent and didn’t react to her wandering hands, Candy followed Tora’s stare and smirked when she saw Poppy standing in front of them. 

“Is this her?” Candy turned to face Poppy fully. “I thought you had better taste, Tora.”

“Shut the fuck up, Candy.” Tora finally spoke, but his eyes didn’t leave Poppy’s. It was hard for her to tell what was going on in his head, but right now, she didn’t really care. He was nothing to her. If he regretted their night, or perhaps if he felt remorse for cheating on his girlfriend with her, it didn’t matter to Poppy. 

She should have expected this. She knew he was too good to be true. Of course he was taken by someone. She had no right to him, and it wasn’t like they were proposing marriage to each other last night. One night stands rarely lead to relationships. 

Did she even want that though? Her almost four-year relationship with Julri had just ended less than a week ago. Poppy didn’t have a lot of experience with break-ups, but she knew hers had been messy, especially with Julri’s infidelity. He had lied to her. Just like Tora had by sleeping with her the night before when he was already in a relationship. And now, all Poppy could see when she looked at Candy was Julri’s new girlfriend, that blonde waitress from her uncle’s bar. 

“A pair of tits doesn’t make you pretty.” Candy tossed her fake extensions over her shoulder and smirked at Poppy. “Didn’t your mom ever introduce you to makeup?”

“No. But my dad taught me this.” Poppy reached out with her right hand and knotted her fingers in the hair at the nape of her neck to grip it tightly. With one swift movement, Poppy dragged Candy close to the bar and slammed her nose into the edge of the glass bar top, smiling inwardly when she heard the bones of Candy’s nose crunch as it connected with the hard surface. Blood immediately came spurting out of her nose as Candy screamed in pain, the front of her gaudy sequined dress now stained a bright red. Poppy released Candy and allowed her to stumble back on her platform heels while she tried to regain her balance against Tora. He stood from his barstool and moved away before she could touch him, watching his girlfriend sob in pain with mild interest. His eyes met Poppy’s again, and she saw a familiar fire in them. Was he…turned on?

“You BITCH! You broke my nose!” Candy shrieked. “My dress is ruined!”

“Good thing it’s from the bargain rack and not actually designer then.” Poppy rolled her eyes. She was getting tired of this bitch’s whining. As a final blow, Poppy brought her hand down in one swift chop on the junction between Candy’s shoulder and neck. It wasn’t hard by any means, but Candy immediately crumbled to the floor unconscious with blood still steadily seeping out of her nose. 

Poppy turned to face Tora fully and crossed her arms. “You should help your girlfriend get cleaned up, she’s making a mess all over the floor. It can’t be sanitary. And while you’re at it, next time Quincey wants me followed, maybe send someone a little less conspicuous.” She spat. 

Turning on her heel, Poppy pushed her way back into the crowd on the dance floor to make her way back to the VIP lounge on the second level. Some popular song she hated came over the speakers and a chorus of screams echoed around her while more people flooded the dance floor, making it harder for her to move. She pushed several people out of her way on her trek, but more replaced them. She could barely see the stairs now. 

A strong hand wrapped around her wrist and began pulling her toward the side of the dance floor. She didn’t even need to look to see who it was. She pulled hard against Tora’s hand, trying to turn her wrist to break his grip around her, but he only held on tighter. He continued pulling her until they were finally out of the crowd and down a dark hallway. Tora’s lips were on hers before she could register what was happening, hard and demanding as they forced her mouth open and his tongue dove inside. Her body melted against his when he brought a hand up to cradle the back of her head while he pressed her between the wall behind her and the hard wall of his chest. A moan escaped Poppy before she brought her hands up, tangling them in his hair and tugging him closer. She tasted the lingering traces of strawberry juice in his mouth when she performed her own investigation with her tongue, emboldened as the large man grunted into her mouth while her tongue explored his. 

All she could think of throughout the dinner as a blush burned her cheeks was how his lips had felt all over her skin, his rough hands trailing her curves as he memorized every inch of her. She wanted more, even as they discussed her marriage to the man sitting next to Tora. She couldn’t help it. She needed to feel him again. She had avoided his eyes the entire night because she didn’t want to give them away. Although she had become an expert in schooling her expression living with her uncle’s family, less she be scolded for showing too much emotion, she worried one look into his amber eyes and they would be found out. 

As Tora’s lips found her neck, she thought of the consequences if they were caught. They were in a Balthuman-owned club. There had to be people there who would recognize Tora, and eventually, they would be able to recognize her too once the engagement was made public. Although Tora was Vincent Balthuman’s ward, there had been rumors of how he had been trained. If you could even call it that. It had been borderline torture. If that was how he trained his men, how would he react if he found out that same ward had slept with his son’s fiancée? What would happen to her? She may be the daughter of William Wilkes, but she feared even that wouldn’t be able to protect her if Vincent decided she needed to be made an example. 

When she felt his large hands on the undersides of her thighs, urging her to wrap them around his hips, her mind screamed for her to stop. Panicked, Poppy removed her hands and used one to land a weak punch against the side of Tora’s head, connecting with his jaw. She felt the pop of the joint under her knuckles, and he immediately dropped her and took a few steps back, putting some much needed distance between them. He winced and gripped his jaw in one of his hands to move it around. He must have broken it before from the way he was carefully testing his range of motion and how easily it had popped even from a weak punch like Poppy’s. He raised his eyes to meet hers, both breathing heavily as they struggled to regain composure. 

“Poppy—

Her name sounded wonderful coming from his lips, and that terrified her. She ran from the hallway before she could hear what else he was about to say, skirting the edge of the dance floor until she finally made it back up to the lounge. 

“Erdene, we have to go. Now.” Poppy went over to her purse and extracted several hundred dollar bills and handed them to Phoebe. “That should cover the tab for tonight. If it doesn’t, I’ll pay you back.”

“What’s going on? Are you feeling sick?” Erdene frowned and rested a hand on Poppy’s heaving back. “We can go to the bathroom.”

“No, no. We just need to leave.” Poppy rubbed at her lips to try to stop them from tingling. She needed an ice-cold shower. It was irrational, but it was as if she could still feel his eyes on her as she fumbled to gather her things. Once she had her bag slung over her shoulder, she grabbed Erdene by the hand and pulled her from the club, hailing a taxi at the edge of the district to take them both back to her apartment. 

She stayed silent for the entire ride, fighting the churning in her stomach from all the alcohol she had drunk and the mix of emotions she felt from Tora’s kiss. If she hadn’t stopped them with a not-so-subtle punch to the jaw, she was sure he would have taken her up against the wall, and she wouldn’t have stopped him. Was it because she really was drawn to him or because she desired to rebel against her uncle’s plans, and he happened to be the first man who showed interest in her? She had a tendency for making rash decisions when she was upset. She hoped this was just a momentary infatuation that would fade quickly. She was heartbroken from Julri, and upset at her arranged marriage with Quincey Balthuman. 

She would get over it in a few days. She had to, for both their sakes. If she didn’t, they would both be destroyed. 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my side project has become my main obsession 🙃 I'm going to try to force myself to take a (very) short break from the AU to focus on FFY and my other one-shot ideas I have. Let me know what you thought of the chapter!
> 
> Thanks for reading! Until next time~


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little more dialogue heavy and doesn’t include Tora, but we get more backstory for Poppy. I hope you like it!
> 
> Check out the end of the chapter for Poppy’s mood board!
> 
> ALSO, the absolutely AMAZING Anna S drew a picture of Poppy from Chapter 2! I screamed for about three minutes when I saw it. I’ve added it below so you can see it too!

One, two three, duck. Right hook to the ribs. Two steps back. Lunge forward, punch to the jaw.

Poppy could feel the inside of her gloves rubbing against her knuckles the longer she practiced with the training dummy. She didn’t know how long she had been down in the training gym in the basement of the Wilkes mansion. There were no windows or clocks in the space, and she had forgotten to wear her watch. Time didn’t exist when Poppy was working out, and she preferred it like that. She could forget about all the stressors in her life and release the tension she had pent up. The rest of the world fell away.

“I think he’s dead, little lion.”

Poppy’s good form deteriorated as a voice spoke behind her. Her impending strike to the dummy’s left side hit the latex with a force of a down pillow thrown by a child. She spun around and saw Alistair, the Wilkes’ clan second in command, standing by the door smirking at her. He was wearing a three-piece suit which strained against the muscles in his arms and legs. He must have had to go to a formal meeting today. Most of the time, he preferred jeans and his signature leather jacket.

“Some of the men told me you were down here beating the shit out of a dummy after kicking all of them out.” Alistair walked further into the room and stopped a few feet away with his hands in his pockets. “Figured someone needed to make sure you didn’t ruin another one.”

She saw water droplets clinging to his salt-and-pepper hair and soaking the shoulders of his suit jacket. Was it raining? It had been sunny when she got here. How long had she been in the gym?

“That was one time, and it wasn’t my fault. Augustus told me I could use the knife on it.” Poppy stepped out of her stance, taking several deep breaths to calm her racing heart. Standing still, she realized she had pushed herself too hard with training. She would feel this tomorrow.

“Yeah, because everything that dipshit says has to be the truth.” He moved towards the first-aid kit mounted on the wall and began to remove it. “Sit down and take off the gloves.”

“I’m fine.”

“I wasn’t asking. Sit.”

Poppy rolled her eyes and sat on a nearby bench, removing her gloves dutifully. She watched while Alistair took the first-aid kit and walked back over, sitting on the ground in front of her and staring to take out some antiseptic.

“Your hands are going to look like shit for a few days.” He took her left hand in his and examined the blood seeping through her hand wraps. “I thought I taught you how to wrap your hands properly.”

“Guess it slipped my mind.” She shrugged.

“Don’t get cheeky with me, you brat.”

“I wonder where I learned it from.”

Alistair gave her a look and began the slow task of unwrapping Poppy’s hands, careful not to pull on the battered skin too hard. “What’s that shit people say? ‘Do as I say, not as I do’?”

“If I followed that, my life would be a lot more boring.” Poppy smiled.

“You’d be safer too.” Alistair smiled back. He focused back on her hands and began dabbing antiseptic on them. “So what set you off?”

Her mind immediately went to the kiss she and Tora shared in the hallway of Club Miracle. She couldn’t stop feeling his lips on hers, pressing and demanding as his tongue snaked into her mouth while also gentle. Every time she closed her eyes, her mind took her back to that moment and the night before the dinner when they shared several hours together in his apartment. Although they hadn’t said much, a small part of her knew that they had made some type of connection. Beating the shit out of a training dummy and pushing herself until her muscles screamed prevented that part of her from having a louder voice.

She knew her father would be disappointed with her. He tried to teach her that violence wasn’t always the answer, but she couldn’t help it. She felt a constant rage burning inside of her; rage from her father’s death, rage at being treated as nothing more than a prop in her uncle’s games, at people who ignored her thoughts and ideas, at Julri for cheating on her and betraying the love and trust she had given to him for almost four years. Candy just happened to be the unlucky recipient when it finally boiled over and erupted. She wondered if there was a way to pay for her plastic surgery.

“I’m just stressed. The dinner didn’t go like I’d hoped.” She finally answered. Not a total lie, but not entirely the truth.

“What happened?” Frederick hadn’t invited any of his lieutenants to the dinner, even though Balthuman had his top two lieutenants there with him. Poppy heard some of the men talking before she had kicked them out of the training area about how the lieutenants were upset about something, but they didn’t know what. Poppy knew it had to be the engagement. They probably felt like her uncle was selling out, marrying her off to the Balthuman heir. They couldn’t be happy.

“Quincey didn’t look at me the entire night. I know there was no way it would be love at first sight or anything, but I at least hoped he would show some interest.” Poppy sighed. “I don’t want to be in a loveless marriage like Uncle Frederick and Aunt Gwen.”

“They love each other. Queen Bitch loves the Wilkes fortune and your uncle loves her ass.” They both laughed as Alistair began wrapping Poppy’s knuckles with clean gauze. “It might not be a loving marriage but Quincey Balthuman isn’t a monster, from what I’ve heard. You two might grow to care about each other eventually.”

“The ‘might’ is what scares me.” Poppy told him. “I don’t want to be stuck at home playing housewife.”

“You don’t have to. Your father left you a property management firm and several other smaller businesses. It’s your right to manage them if you want.” Alistair responded.

“How would that go over with the Balthuman’s? Uncle Frederick hates if I even step into one of the offices.” It had become a point of contention between her and her uncle, to the extent where she didn’t even bother bringing up the topic to prevent a fight. Although he wouldn’t dare to lay a hand on her, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t take his frustration out on someone else.

“I doubt Quincey would mind. Vincent would, but management is different from actually having a job.” Alistair explained. “Going into the office for a couple hours a few times a week might be acceptable to him.”

“Well, I’m glad his majesty would approve of me leaving the house for a few measly hours a day.” She spat the words, unable to prevent the venom from coming out.

“You need to watch that mouth, Poppy. I don’t want you getting in trouble because you sassed the Balthuman clan leader.” He released her doctored hands and Poppy rolled her shoulders back to stretch them. “So how was your little jaunt to Club Miracle?”

Poppy froze and her head shot up to look at him. “How did you—

“I have eyes everywhere. You don’t think I would have some of them on you?” Alistair smirked. “Don’t worry, I only tell your uncle what he needs to know. Your secret is safe with me. But for gods sake, at least take one man into Balthuman territory with you. We can’t trust them.”

“Then why am I being married to one of them?” Poppy shot back.

“Don’t look at me, I’d sooner kill every last one of them than let Balthuman’s brat get within a yard of you. This is entirely your uncle’s idea.” Alistair shook his head. “Your father is rolling in his grave right now.”

Poppy went quiet, just like she usually did whenever her father was brought up. She had been young when he died and so many years had passed, but it still hurt. He had been ripped from her life too soon. She still missed him every day. She wanted to talk with him about all of this and see what he thought she should do. But she knew if he were still alive, she wouldn’t even be in this situation.

She had Alistair, who acted as a surrogate father after her own father had died, but she felt she couldn’t talk about this with him. He and her uncle had never got along. If she brought her concerns to Alistair, nothing would get solved. It would just start more conflict.

“Did you two go to the club together?” Alistair’s voice broke her from her thoughts.

“I thought you had eyes everywhere.”

“I didn’t have the man follow you inside. You’re a grown woman. You’re entitled to some alone time.”

“Says the man who has his ‘eyes everywhere’ watching me.”

“That’s for your own safety, since you keep ditching your bodyguard.” Alastair sat beside her on the bench with a sigh. “Not that you need him.”

“If you must know, no, we did not. I met Erdene and some friends there. I needed to blow some steam after that dinner.”

“At least you didn’t go by yourself. I would have killed you if you did. I didn’t raise you to be that stupid.”

“And yet here I am.” They both laughed and Poppy looked up to the ceiling. She still had to go to a meeting with an investor for Goldfish Publishing today. She looked down at her hands and frowned. Maybe training today wasn’t such a great idea.

“If you don’t want this marriage, tell me now.” Alistair whispered. “I can try to work something out with Balthuman.”

“What?” Poppy looked over, confused at Alistair’ out-of-the-blue statement. He was staring at her intently. His eyes usually held a small amount of mirth, the glint of knowing something someone else didn’t, but now they were hard and serious as they looked at her. Whatever he was suggesting, he wasn’t joking about it. All Poppy had to do was say the word, and he would help her out of this mess. No matter the cost.

“I thought that was what I was supposed to do. Marry a clan leader.” Poppy turned away from his intense stare and focused on her shoes.

“You can do whatever the fuck you want, Pops. You’re the daughter of William Wilkes. I’d dare anyone to try to tell you no.”

“What would happen if I said no?” Poppy asked. “Would there be a clan war?”

Alistair sighed and raked a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. “I couldn’t know. Not for sure. Balthuman wasn’t keen on the marriage in the first place, but your uncle is convinced it’s the only way to prevent more conflict in the future. There could be some backlash from breaking the contracts.”

“Deaths?”

Before Alistair could respond, the door to the gym opened again. They both looked over to the entrance and saw Sebastian had entered, dressed similarly to Alistair, though it wasn’t out of the ordinary for him. He usually wore suits, as was expected of him as the heir to the Wilkes clan to keep up appearances. He took in Alistair and Poppy sitting together on the bench as he walked towards them.

“Hope I’m not interrupting.” Sebastian stood in front of them with his hands in his pockets, his eyes going to Poppy’s bandaged hands. “What happened?”

“I went too hard with the dummy. It’s nothing.” Poppy looked away from him and focused on a spot on the opposite side of the room. Sebastian had a habit of looking right through her and almost reading her mind to find out when something was wrong, and she didn’t want to have a psych session right now.

“Alistair, Dad wants to see you in his office. Something about guard rotations in the coming weeks.”

“Not that we didn’t talk about that fifteen minutes ago.” She heard Alistair grumble under his breath as he stood. He leaned over and kissed Poppy on her forehead before he left the room, leaving her and Sebastian alone.

“Do you need me to give you a ride home?” Sebastian asked while Poppy started to pack up her stuff.

“I’ll be fine. I brought my car.” Poppy looked over her shoulder when she didn’t hear Sebastian leave. “Do you have to tell me something?”

“Just remember, I’m the messenger.” He held his hands up in front of him.

“That doesn’t sound promising.” She frowned and turned to him with his arms crossed. “What is it?”

“Dad and Mr. Balthuman think it’s a good idea for you and Quincey to get to know each other a little better before the official engagement.”

“Meaning?”

“You’re going on a date with Quincey at the end of week.” Sebastian held up a finger to stop her as she opened her mouth to speak. “And no, you can’t get out it. Dad called your work to see if your schedule was clear, and he already booked the restaurant out. You’ll be alone.”

“Of course he did.” Poppy rolled her eyes. “I’m assuming I’ll have a chaperone?”

“Gus is going with you.”

At least it’s not one of his bodyguards. Gus would at least keep quiet if the dinner didn’t go to plan, instead of feeding every little detail back to her uncle. Poppy shouldered her bag and looked back to Sebastian.

“Just send me the details so I can plan. Anything else?”

Sebastian reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, extending it toward her. “Another name.”

She took it and examined it for a few seconds, memorizing the location and time before handing it back to him. “Is it a hit?”

“Just incapacitate him. Gus will go with you to watch your back. Men will be waiting to capture him once you take the shot.” He explained. 

“Fine.” She started to walk away, but as she passed Sebastian he reached out and grabbed her arm. She looked to his hand, then to his face.

“It’s going to be okay, Poppy. The marriage. I promise.” Sebastian whispered.

Poppy wanted to believe him. He had his own arranged marriage several years ago, but it had yet to produce an heir and she knew her uncle was growing restless. She knew Sebastian didn’t love his wife. If the rumors were true, they barely slept in the same bed. Poppy didn’t want that for herself.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” She removed her arm from Sebastian’s grasp and stalked towards the door, letting it slam behind her. If her uncle wanted her to go to on a date with Quincey, then that meant Tora would probably be there as well.

She would make this date what she wanted. She was finally going to get some answers.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Until next time~


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Long time no see. I apologize for the wait, but I have TWO chapters to make up for it! I hope you like them.
> 
> Thank you SO MUCH to Emily B for beta-reading for me. You're the bomb.com 🤗
> 
> If any of you are interested, I made a playlist for this AU on Spotify. Warning, some of the songs are explicit. There's no rhyme or reason to the order, so just put it on shuffle and enjoy! - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4nYVo2NHI0IESgyF8IdXVK?si=FpP1jUFbTtyOVFytSGXT5g
> 
> Check out the mood board at the end of the chapter for the newest character!

Tora heard the shouting long before he even reached Balthuman’s office door. 

On any other day, he would assume it was Balthuman laying into some poor bastard for messing up a shipment, a prelude to the real punishment that would come later at an undisclosed location. But given the higher pitch to the voice yelling and the flashy car parked out front, he knew it was going to be an even bigger shit show when he walked inside for his impromptu meeting, at Balthuman’s request. 

“How long have they been going at it?” Tora asked Izo, who was standing guard at the office door. 

Izo shrugged and looked at his watch. “Fifteen minutes? The screaming has only been going on for maybe five. I’m gonna need a guard change, or I’ll have permanent hearing damage.”

“That happens.” Tora looked to the heavy wooden door and sighed inwardly. “Take a break. I’m here now.”

“Thanks, big bro.” Izo left, jogging to put as much distance between himself and the office as he could. Tora didn’t blame him. When they started going at it, the entire house went into hiding. Taking a deep breath, Tora finally entered the office and promptly shut the door behind him. 

“And how does Martin think this is going to be beneficial?” Vivienne demanded, her hands on her hips in front of her father’s desk as she squared off with him. Both were so engrossed in their argument that Tora slipped in unnoticed and sat in a chair in the corner, lighting a cigarette to enjoy the show. 

Her platinum blonde hair hung stick-straight down her back while her green eyes shot sparks looking at her father. Based on the business attire she was wearing, she had come straight from the Balthuman Charity’s offices. Someone there had probably spilled the beans on accident. Vincent Balthuman had given specific instructions not to speak of the engagement in the office to prevent his daughter from hearing the news before he had the chance to tell her himself. The poor fuck that let it slip would probably be at the bottom of Narin River by tomorrow night. 

“An alliance between our clans would prevent the constant turf disputes we can’t seem to agree on. The decrease in altercations would allow us some leniency with the police finally easing patrols in the areas we operate.” 

“Like we’ve ever let the police affect our business at all.” Vivienne scoffed. “What is this really about?”

Vincent finally noticed Tora sitting in the corner. “Tora, you’re here. Wonderful. Darling, Tora and I have a meeting. We’ll continue this later.”

Vivienne turned around to face Tora, completely ignoring her father as she squared off with the dark-haired man. “Please tell me I had an aneurysm and Quincey isn’t actually marrying that Wilkes girl.” 

Tora shrugged and sank further in his chair. “Sorry.”

“And Quincey has agreed to this?” She turned back to her father. “Quincey said he never wanted to get married.”

“He changed his tune when I threatened to cut him off.” Vincent smirked. Tora rolled his eyes subtly, thankful that he was now blocked from Vincent’s sightline by Vivienne. Vincent liked to use his money as a way to control his children, specifically Quincey. Unfortunately for Mr. Balthuman, Vivienne was making her own money at the charity organization and from part-time modeling gigs, so he couldn’t control her as well anymore. Not that he ever did anyway. “It’s only marriage. And you know how Quincey loves to spend money. He’d drain his trust fund in a week without my support.”

“You said before that you would sooner give up all claim to the family before you did business with Frederick Wilkes. Now you’re allowing Quincey,  _ your heir _ , to marry his daughter?”

“Poppy is his niece, not his daughter.” Vincent pointed out. “Her father was William Wilkes.”

“Who cares?” Vivienne threw her hands up in exasperation. “She’s still a Wilkes. And you’re allowing this!”

“How would you propose I alleviate the growing tension between the two clans without any further bloodshed, with the entirety of the Narin City Police’s Organized Crime Division breathing down my neck?” Vincent’s voice lowered dangerously. “If we go to war, we’ll all be thrown in jail and our clans disbanded. There would be no stopping it.”

“Kill Frederick Wilkes! You know he’s the problem!” 

“To what end?” Vincent laced his fingers together and sat back in his desk chair. “Even if we made a deal with Sebastian Wilkes, half of his clan believes we were involved in William Wilkes’s death. Do you think he could still promise peace if we were directly involved in their clan leader’s death? His father’s death?”

When Vivienne didn’t respond, Vincent smirked in triumph. “Go greet your mother and be ready for dinner at seven.”

She turned in a huff and left the office, slamming the door so hard behind her the framed art on the wall rattled. Vincent let out a long sigh and immediately reached for the glass of scotch on his desk to down it on one breath. 

“She’s in a good mood.” Tora commented. 

“Shut the fuck up.” Vincent snapped. “Whoever told her is going to be dead by nightfall. I didn’t need this problem.”

“She’ll come around. She knows it’s part of Quincey’s duty to marry the Wilkes girl. Doesn’t mean she has to like it though.” Tora put out his cigarette with his fingers and slipped it in his pocket. “I wouldn’t leave the two of them in a room alone for the first few months though.”

“Vivienne knows her place. She wouldn’t defy me so openly. She knows the consequences.”

“And that doesn’t include a screaming match in your office?”

“You’re wearing down my already thin patience, son.” Vincent frowned at him. “Watch your tone.” 

Tora looked back with indifference. “You wanted to meet with me?”

“Yes.” Vincent took a moment to refill his glass while Tora waited. “Quincey will be going on a date with Poppylan Wilkes tonight. It’s a good idea for them to get to know each other a little better for the success of their union. You’ll be going with him to act as his bodyguard.”

_ Date? _ Toes waited for Vincent to give up the joke, but the boss continued to stare at him, expecting an answer. Just a week ago, Balthuman had said he didn’t want Quincey and Poppy to spend “too much time” together. He feared if they got to know each other, they would find they hated each other and would do what they could to end the arrangement. This change of tune had Tora interested, but it also made his stomach churn. 

This date sounded like his own personal version of hell. Even if she and Quincey didn’t get along, he’d rather stick hot pokers in his eyes than see Poppy on a date with another man. He had no claim to her. They had sex once, when he didn’t even get a good look at her and didn’t know her name. But during that night, and when they kissed in the club, he felt a connection with her that he had never felt with another human being. He imagined what it would be like if he could take her out so they could get to know each other properly, without the clan barriers and roles separating them. What would she think if he took her to the upper room of his grandmother’s restaurant? Did she like sushi? What did she dress like when she wasn’t around the clan? He hadn’t paid much attention to what she was wearing when they first met, and he’d only ever seen her in formal wear, or that fucking torture piece she was wearing when she knocked Candy out at the club. It took all his self-control to pull her into a secluded hallway and not claim her with his mouth in front of all those people. 

“You said I’d be handling shipments tonight.” Tora shook his head slightly to remove the image of Poppy from his mind before his body responded. 

“And now you’ll be going with Quincey to oversee his date. Then report back to me, of course.” Vincent raised one eyebrow. “Is that going to be a problem?”

Tora noticed Vincent’s hand slowly reach inside his jacket, where he usually kept his switchblade. A quiet threat of repercussions, should Tora actually say no. The younger man stood and put his hands in his pockets, ignoring Vincent. “Where is Quincey?”

“He’ll be down in a few minutes. You leave soon. Go out to the car and wait for him.” Vincent turned his back on Tora to indicate the meeting was over. Tora didn’t bother with a parting quip before he left the office and went outside to the car, climbing in the back seat and looking through his phone while he waited. Almost thirty minutes later, Quincey finally emerged from the front door of the mansion, wearing one of his signature turtlenecks underneath a black jacket and matching slacks. Tora hoped he wasn’t packing. Quincey looked ready to kill someone.

“Drive.” Quincey ordered when the door shut behind him, the car moving not long after. 

“Wow, you look nice. Excited for your first date?” Tora couldn’t resist the opportunity to tease his friend. He’d been stewing for the past two weeks about marrying Poppy, seeing him agonize over losing his Friday night to a date with her was too entertaining.

“Shut up before I rip your tongue out and feed it to you.” Quincey growled. “I’m already trying to stay as calm as possible so I don’t lash out at the girl.”

“I think anything you say to her, she can give it back tenfold.” 

“I don’t understand why we have to ‘get to know each other’.” Quincey ignored Tora as he continued. “It doesn’t matter what we think of each other, we’re still getting married either way.”

“Less chance of it ending in divorce if you two learn not to hate each other early on.”

“Divorce wouldn’t even be an option.” Quincey scoffed. “The only way either of us is getting out of the marriage once we say ‘I do’ is death.”

The rest of the ride to the restaurant was silent. Quincey wasn’t in the mood to talk, and Tora was on edge the second they passed into Wilkes territory. Vincent had yet to sign the contract agreeing to the terms of the marriage and truce between the two clans. There was no guarantee nothing would happen to the two when they were at the restaurant except Frederick Wilkes’s word, and everyone knew that meant shit. 

When the car finally slowed to a stop in front of the Wilkes-owned restaurant, there were no guards posted outside, nor could he see any men walking outside. He exited the car first to survey their surroundings and once deeming it safe for Quincey to exit, the two finally went into the restaurant.

Augustus Wilkes raised his glass towards Tora when they caught eyes once he and Quincey entered the dining room. He sat in a corner near the door, far enough away from where Poppy was sitting in the middle of the room to offer her at least some privacy, but still close enough to act if anything happened. From the way he was downing whiskey, however, Tora doubted his response time would be anything to gawk at. 

Augustus Wilkes was the only Wilkes clan member Tora didn’t have an immediate problem with on meeting. He didn’t have a stick up his ass like his older brother, and just looking at him you could tell the young man wasn’t as evil as his father. That didn’t mean he wanted to go over and sit with him like they were best friends though.

Tora’s mouth went dry when he saw what Poppy was wearing. Although it was floor-length with long sleeves, the deep v pointing towards Poppy’s navel and the high slit up the side ending just below her hip more than made up for the skin hidden by the golden fabric. He noticed she was constantly shifting in it, either pulling the slit to try to cover her leg more, fidgeting with her curled hair, or tugging the front of the dress in an effort to conceal more of her chest, but the way the light shifted and caught the light as she moved made her attempt at subtlety obsolete. If she was so uncomfortable, why was she wearing it?

Quincey cleared his throat to alert Poppy of their presence as the two men came closer to the table. She jumped slightly and turned towards the two, her eyes lingering on Tora for a moment longer, an almost unnoticeable blush staining her cheeks when he reached up and rubbed the spot on his jaw where she hit him. She coughed and focused her attention back on Quincey, her countenance indiscernible. 

“You’re late.” Poppy noted once Quincey had sat down at the table. Tora sat down at a table a few feet away, waiving off a waiter when he tried to come over to serve him. Poppy was nough of a distraction already, he didn’t need to be eating when he was supposed to be watching out for Quincey.

“We ran into traffic on the way here.” Quincey provided his lukewarm excuse for his tardiness. His eyes went to Poppy’s hands and he frowned, seeing the battered knuckles. Tora already knew they were abrasions from not wrapping her hands properly during sparring, or overwork. He had dealt with the same injury on himself too many times to count. “What happened?”

“Nothing.” Poppy moved them beneath the table to her lap. “How are we going to play this?”

“I assumed we were going to eat dinner. Unless you had other plans?”

“I didn’t know if we would just sit in silence for the entire time, or if we were actually going to have dinner.” 

“I’m starving, so I’m getting food.” Quincey picked up the menu in front of him. “Your uncle runs this restaurant, correct? What would you recommend?”

“Don’t get anything with seafood. It’s not fresh.” She glanced at the menu for a moment before folding it and handing it to the waitress.

Quincey looked at her for a second. “We’re on an island. You could throw a rock and hit a fish.”

“Fresh is expensive, my uncle doesn’t do expensive for his fronts.” Poppy handed her wine glass to the waitress so she could fill it. Tora noticed her hands shook slightly as she took the glass back, the liquid quivering. Something was off with her. He did a quick sweep of the restaurant to check for any Wilkes men that could be hiding in the shadows. Surely Frederick Wilkes wouldn’t be stupid enough to kill the heir to the Balthuman clan so openly. Besides the waiters and Augustus in the corner, Tora, Poppy, and Quincey were the only ones in the dining room. 

“Alright then.” Quincey handed the menu to the waitress. “I’ll just have pasta then.”

“I don’t want anything.” The waitress nodded and disappeared back into the kitchen while Quincey frowned. 

“Something wrong?” He asked. 

“Nothing. I’m not hungry.”

“Trying to get this date over with as soon as possible?”

Poppy frowned and crossed her arms. “No. I just don’t want to eat.”

Quincey looked over at her wine glass then back at Poppy. “If you want to keep drinking like that, you should eat. Or else you’ll be peeling yourself off the floor tomorrow morning.”

“Are you implying I can’t handle myself?”

“I’m trying to make sure you don’t have a hangover tomorrow.” Quincey was matching her frown now. “Don’t put words in my mouth.”

“I’m sorry, I just assumed you were. You did send your bodyguard after me when I left the dinner last week.” Poppy nodded to Tora seated to the side. “Or were you looking out for me then too?”

Tora could see Quincey was struggling to remain calm reaching for his water glass, his knuckles white as he took a drink. She was already under his skin. “This may not be a marriage based on love, but I won’t be made a cuckold so openly. Suppose you went home with someone from that club. What would the tabloids say if they saw you leaving with someone who wasn’t me?”

“You mean before they’re even aware of our engagement?” Poppy scoffed. “We were both raised in clan life, I’m not an idiot. I know what optics mean in our culture. Which is why if I had wanted to sleep with someone that night, we would have gone to the hotel across the street, then I would have left immediately after out the back door so no one would recognize me. But it seems like I might have taken all my lessons more to heart than you did, considering I’m allowed to walk around without a bodyguard, and you have a 6-foot shadow.” Her eyes darted to Tora before looking back at Quincey. He noticed she had started looking over at him more frequently since Quincey’s mention of her going home with another man. If Quincey saw, he didn’t point it out.

“What is that supposed to mean?” He hissed.

“I think you know exactly what it means.”

Quincey’s mouth turned up in a mirthless smirk before sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms. “Maybe it’s less about how you can handle yourself, and more about your value. If your  _ family _ cared more about you, they wouldn’t let you walk around without a bodyguard.”

Quincey didn’t notice it, but Tora saw an emotion flash across her stony countenance. Was it pain? The sound of a glass slamming down on the table broke Tora’s focus to look towards the source of the sound. Augustus was glaring murderously at Quincey, who seemed oblivious to the weight of what he had just said. Before Augustus could stand and start his approach towards Quincey, Poppy held up a hand to stop him. 

“Order dinner for T—your bodyguard, that way it will look like we completed our date.” She stood from the table and narrowed her eyes. “I’ll make sure no one sees me as I leave. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to be forced to suffer through a meal with someone as inconsequential as me.” 

“Where do you think you’re going?” Quincey demanded as she began to walk toward the restaurant’s kitchen. Augustus followed, continuing to glare at Quincey while he passed. The only reason either of them had not wrapped their hands around Quincey’s throat was because of the impending marriage. That, and how bad it would look if the heir to the Balthuman clan were to die on Wilkes territory.

“I can’t stand being in the same room as you for another second without killing you, so to  _ preserve the deal _ , I’m removing myself before I do something I will regret.” She spat, turning back around just long enough to speak, then pushing through to the kitchen with Augustus on her heels. 

Tora watched the door for a few moments before standing and taking Poppy’s vacated seat across from Quincey. “I don’t think you realize what you’ve done.” He frowned. 

“And what exactly have I done?” Quincey rolled his eyes and began eating. 

“You just pissed her off royally. Anything she says to her uncle about this date will get back to you father. I can bet he won’t be happy that you insulted your future bride and put the deal he’s been working on for months at risk because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut and play nice.” 

“She started it!”

“ _ You  _ started it when you sent me after her after dinner last week.” Tora pointed out. “You should have just left her alone. But you had to stick your big nose in her business.”

“I couldn’t have her making a fool of me.” 

“You think she gives two shits about what you think? She’s going to go out of her way to fuck with you now.” He shook his head and reached for her forgotten wine glass to down it, needing to feel some sort of burn in order to deal with Quincey’s bullshit. “If you want to avoid living in a box under a bridge, fix it with the girl before she tells her family about this disaster.”

Quincey looked around the room, noticing the waiters standing at attention on the far wall. “How much for your silence?” 

“Miss Poppy owns the restaurant, Mr. Balthuman. Her uncle only manages it. She’s already instructed us not to speak of the dinner.”

He turned back to Tora with a smirk. “See? Problem already solved.”

“I said fix it with the girl, not the waitstaff.”

He rolled his eyes and looked back to the waiters. “Can one of you get me a piece of paper and a pen?”

“What is that going to do?” Tora asked once Quincey received his materials and began writing. 

“Hopefully get her to at least meet with me tomorrow so I can fix this.” Tora watched for a few minutes as Quincey wrote in his neat, cursive writing. How whatever he was writing could undo what he said to Poppy, he didn’t know. She was beyond pissed when she left, he doubted a simple note would make her forgive Quincey. 

“Here.” Quincey folded the note and handed it to Tora. “Take this to her.”

“How am I going to do that? I don’t know where she lives.”

Quincey extracted his phone from his pocket and began to type. “Her uncle gave me her address in case I ever wanted to visit her. I’ll text it to you.”

“Does she know you have her address?” 

“Probably not. I never planned to use it.” Tora’s phone buzzed as Quincey finally sent the message. “Take the car. I’ll call someone else to come pick me and the driver up.”

“If she kills me, it’s your fault.” Tora warned. He stood from the table and pocketed the note and his phone. He hoped she wasn’t home, or at least wouldn’t answer the door when she saw it was him. He had secretly wished Quincey would ruin the date with his big mouth to give some chance the wedding would be called off. Even if it was, that wouldn’t mean he would have a chance with Poppy, but at least it would mean she would be kept away from the Balthuman clan. That alone was worth doing whatever necessary to protect her. She had proven before she was capable of holding her own in this world, but Tora wasn’t entirely sure if if that was part of who she was, or who she had been forced to become. After that dinner with her family, he had to question just who was the lesser of two evils: The Balthumans, or her own family?

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Until next time~


	7. Chapter 7

The drive to Poppy’s apartment was quick. Despite it being late on a Friday night, the roads were empty. Tora parked right in front of the building and exited the car, leaning against the passenger door to examine his surroundings. Two gates, both security locked, but there was no guard on duty. The wall wasn’t too high, he could probably scale it in just a few seconds. He could pick the lock into the building and make it up to her floor without much suspicion, with the lack of security cameras and people in the area. 

“The fuck are you doing here?”

Tora turned toward the voice and saw Augustus exiting the smaller gate. He walked toward Tora and stopped several feet away, his hand going inside his jacket to reach for what Tora assumed was a gun. Tora rolled his eyes and pushed off from the car to walk towards Augustus. 

“Calm down. I’m not here for a fight.” As he neared Augustus, he could smell the alcohol he had slammed at the restaurant wafting off him. He had to be shitfaced. Tora pulled Quincey’s note from his pocket and held it up between two fingers. “Something for Poppy, from her fiancé.”

“Last I checked, Poppy doesn’t have a fiancé. Not until your boss signs the fucking contract. And after tonight, I don’t know if my dad would even want him to.” 

“If this is supposed to be you threatening me, you’re not doing a good job.” 

“Just a warning. I’m not saying anything because Poppy told me not to, but that doesn’t mean I can’t drop hints about the prince’s treatment of her.” 

“Go ahead.” Tora quirked one eyebrow up at him. “Would Frederick even care?”

Augustus frowned at him, but didn’t respond. Tora thought that maybe the reason Poppy had been so upset at Quincey’s comment was that he had been insulting her uncle, but could it be because Frederick Wilkes truly didn’t care about her, and she didn’t want to be reminded of the fact? There were rumors of Frederick’s cruelty towards his sons. If they were true, he didn’t want to think of what Poppy had suffered at his hands. It made his blood boil. 

“Gus, let’s go.” Sebastian Wilkes emerged from the gate, straightening his coat and stopping when he saw his brother and Tora squaring off. “Tora, good to see you.”

Tora grunted in response. “Are you going to let me pass?”

“Fuck no.” Augustus spat. 

“What are you doing here?” Sebastian walked forward and put an arm in front of his brother to push him back. 

“I’m here to deliver a note to Poppy from Quincey.” Tora repeated, now focusing on the elder Wilkes. “I’m no threat to her.”

“Can I see the note?” Sebastian asked. 

He shook his head in response. “I think that should stay between Poppy and her fiancé.”

Sebastian stared at him for a few moments, his expression blank as Tora shifted once under his gaze. He considered the possibility of winning a fight against the Wilkes brothers. The guns they both probably had would pose a problem, but he could probably make it out alive if he could get to the car without being shot in any major organs. Before Tora could make his move, Sebastian turned to the gate, starting to unlock it. “Fair enough.”

“You’re not actually considering this.” Augustus hissed at his brother. “He’s Balthuman’s dog. What if he sent him here to spy on Poppy?”

“Would you shut up for ten seconds?” Sebastian snapped. “He has the note in his hand, and if Balthuman wanted to spy on her, he probably already has. He wouldn’t send Tora to do it.”

“I’m going back up there if he’s going to be in her apartment.”

“You’ll do as your told and get in the fucking car.” Sebastian shoved his younger brother towards the car idling in the driveway to the apartment building before turning back to Tora. “He’s protective. He’s also shitfaced. Please forgive him.”

Tora shrugged and walked past Sebastian. “He’ll get in trouble if he runs his mouth like that around the boss. He’s not the forgiving type. Remind him of that.” 

He climbed the stairs to the fifth floor and walked down the hallway, finally stopping in front of Poppy’s door. He raised his hand to knock but hesitated. It was late, she could already be in bed. He could pick the lock, leave the note somewhere she would see it, then leave without having to deal with all her questions. On the other hand, she could be a ‘shoot-first, ask questions later’ type of person, and he preferred to not go to the doctor tonight. 

He knocked loudly and waited. He felt his stomach turn in anticipation hearing her footsteps growing louder until the door finally opened. 

“Gus, I told you, I’ll be—” She stopped short when she finally looked up and saw Tora standing outside. He almost forgot why he was there in the first place. She had changed from what she wore in the restaurant and switched to a pair of shorts and a plain pink sweatshirt that hung off of one shoulder, her hair now tamed into two braids. She was definitely more dressed down than the past few times he had seen her, but for some reason, she looked better. She looked more like…her. 

“What are you doing here?” Poppy demanded. “How do you know where I live?”

“Quincey gave me your address.” She tried to close the door on Tora when he stepped past the threshold, but he quickly edged around her and made it inside. He took off his shoes and turned back to her with a triumphant smirk. 

“I didn’t say you could come into my apartment!” Poppy tried to move around to push him back toward the door, but he planted his feet to the floor making her attempts futile while she pushed against his chest. “Get out!”

“I’m just here to deliver a note from Quincey. Calm down.” Tora looked over her head and saw just how small her apartment was inside. It was a studio, with a small kitchen to the right of the front door and barely enough space for Tora to turn around. Art, vintage Ghibli posters, and plants filled almost all the available wall space and every free surface. He looked down and saw a small desk tucked into a nook in the wall. Her laptop was open to a document, but the text was too small for Tora to read.

“I don’t need your permission, sweetheart.” Tora looked down at her, confused. “You live here?”

“Last time I checked.” Poppy stepped back and glared up at him. “What do you want?”

Tora ignored her question and walked further inside. “I thought you would live someplace bigger. Or fancier. Maybe downtown.”

“I can afford this apartment. I didn’t want my uncle paying for it. And my options were limited on my budget.” She hurried past him and went over to her bed, shoving some stuffed animals to the floor beside the window which included the biggest Totoro doll he’d ever seen. 

“Figured you princesses liked to burn money as fast as you could.” Her apartment proved otherwise. If she was supposed to be an heiress, why was she living in a hole like this? There was a rumor William Wilkes left a fortune to his daughter when he died. With money like that, she could have bought a building like this a hundred times over. Frederick Wilkes’s reputation would be ruined if any clan members found out this is where she was living. Clan life was about proving your success through material items. Living in an old, moldy building didn’t match the image the Wilkes clan was trying to project. 

“My aunt and uncle do that. My father taught me to make my own way in the world. I don’t want anyone doing me any favors just because I’m a Wilkes. I don’t want anything I didn’t earn myself.” She shook her head and scoffed. “I have no idea why I’m telling you any of this.”

_ The two princesses are more alike than they think _ . Quincey concealed his true identity when he was writing, refusing to use the Balthuman name to his advantage even though he could, and he would probably be treated with more respect if he did. 

“You said you had a note for me.” Her voice broke him from his thoughts as he focused back on her. She held her hand out and raised her eyebrows expectantly. He handed her the note and watched her read it, her eyes scanning quickly over the small piece of paper before she folded it again and put it in the pocket of her shorts. “Did he want a reply?”

Tora shrugged. “Don’t think it matters.”

She rolled her eyes at him and sat down at her desk across from the kitchen to pen her reply.

“You have a lot of paper.” He commented when she started sifting through a large box of colorful sheets. 

“Would you be quiet?” 

“You weren’t saying that last week.” He smiled when she looked over her shoulder to glare at him before turning her attention back to writing with a dark blush on her cheeks. He walked over to the plant hanging next to her desk and began playing with the leaves.“Why were your cousins here?”

“That’s none of your business. Hey, don’t touch that!” Poppy ordered, slapping Tora’s shin when he started twirling her plant. Tora smirked at the way she huffed in annoyance and continued writing her note. 

“Ya think I’m going to go back and tell my boss whatever you say?” 

“You keep bringing up the club so nonchalantly, who knows what’s going to slip out when you’re around him.” Poppy sealed her reply in an envelope and handed it back to Tora as she stood. “I don’t want to be killed.”

“You think I would rat you out to him?”

“He’s your boss, you should have more loyalty to him than some random girl you met at a nightclub. Why would you care about me?”

She looked away and began to fiddle with her plant as Tora’s frown deepened. This woman in front of him was nothing like the one he had met at Miracle. She had been confident, initiating the meeting between them and fearlessly following him back to his apartment even though she didn’t know his name. She had taken charge in the bedroom, something he was unused to. Of the girls he had sex with, most just went along with what he wanted to do. Instead, Poppy matched him move for move, unafraid to tell him what she wanted. Now, she would barely look him in the eye. Her cousins must have said something to her, but even then, he knew it was deeper than that. She didn’t have an ounce of the confidence she had before. She was the daughter of William Wilkes. People still talked about him in the underworld like he was a god. She was practically royalty. Tora should be the one unable to look her in the eye. 

“I want to ask you a question.” His voice made her look back up at him with her large brown eyes. She seemed startled, like she was expecting him to be gone after her comment and not still standing in front of her.  _ Like hell I’m leaving. I want answers _ . 

“And I still want you to get out of my apartment. I have ramen coming and I don’t want to share.” 

“It’s the least you can do after trying to break my jaw the other night.” Tora frowned.

“Is this the only way I’m going to get you to leave?” Poppy returned his frown and crossed her arms. She let out a heavy sigh when Tora nodded. “Fine. What’s your question?”

“Why did you leave?”

Her jaw dropped at his question, but she composed herself by clearing her throat. “What?”

“The morning after we met at Miracle. Why did you leave?”

He watched her worry her bottom lip between his teeth, turning her eyes down to focus on her shifting feet. He reached out to touch her chin and force her to look back up at him, but he hesitated and let his hand drop back down to his side. She already looked ready to bolt, forcing her to make eye contact wasn’t going to get him anywhere. “Why does it matter to you?”

“Because I already know you’re not the type to hit it and quit it.” He retorted. “Why?”

“It doesn’t matter why I left. It was a one-night stand, you don’t have to psychoanalyze it.” Poppy tried to move around him, but he put his arms out, placing his hands on either side of her head to prevent her escape. He saw a hint of fear in her eyes at his movement, but it was gone as she straightened and stared him down. “Move.”

“You were the first girl I’d ever let stay over. I was going to take you out to breakfast afterwards. And you looked so fucking sexy when you handed Candy’s ass to her. If you hadn’t punched me in the club, I would have taken you in that hallway.”

Her cheeks blushed a deep red, but she didn’t shy away from his gaze. Her eyes grew wider, almost as if she was happy at his words. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it, holding back what she wanted to say. She took a shaking breath to compose herself. “Why are you telling me this?” 

“Because I know you felt something too.” Tora bent down so they were eye to eye. “Don’t lie.”

She hesitated, looking down just for a moment before she looked back at him. “I did. But whatever I may or may not have felt is irrelevant. I’m going to be engaged to Quincey.”

“So?”

“Are you suggesting I cheat on him?”

“You don’t seem like you would happily settle for being a mob wife. That’s exactly what you’ll be doing if you marry him.” She swallowed hard as he leaned closer, his breath fanning over her face. He breathed in her scent, strawberries and citrus, the same smell she left on his pillow. He balled his hands into fists to control himself from leaning forward and burying his face into her neck to breathe deeply. “What are you afraid of?”

Her eyes focused on his lips while she licked her own. One swift movement and Tora could be kissing her. Would they be able to stop if he did? He knew the consequences if he and Poppy were caught, but he didn’t care. Two weeks. Two weeks of knowing this woman, only seeing each other less times than he could count on one hand and he was already ready to tell Vincent Balthuman to fuck off and burn Narin City to the ground, even if it only guaranteed an hour uninterrupted with her. 

She cleared her throat and ducked underneath Tora’s arm while he was distracted to escape. She moved as far away from him as possible and turned away, focusing on something on her dresser to avoid his eyes. “You delivered Quincey’s card and said what you wanted to say. Now leave. I won’t ask again.” 

He waited for a moment, wondering if she would look at him again before he left. He saw her grip the edge of her dresser, trying to control the shaking in her hands, ten times worse now than it had been in at the restaurant. When he didn’t move, she raised her eyes, now filled with tears. 

“Please, Tora.” She pleaded. “Please, just…leave me be.”

He didn’t stay to see her turn away from him again, or the way she squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to stop herself from crying. The sound of one broken sob rang in his ears as he left her apartment, wondering if he could fulfill her request without destroying himself in the process. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEADS-UP: I'm going to put this story on a SHORT pause until I can finish Fight for You, which only has two chapters left. This doesn't mean I won't be working on WotW, just that it might be a little while until I post. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Until next time~


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